I really like what the Juvenile Detention Center is doing with the juveniles that they are given. They do not just lock them up with adults in prisons where the child would more than likely not improve on his or her standings in the US. I feel after the two guest speakers came in to talk to us today that they are actually helping the juveniles that they are getting sent to them every day, and not just locking them up and forgetting about them. I feel that with what the two guest speakers told us in class, that the the juvenile offenders are actually receiving the help that he or she needs. One thing that stands out to me and really impresses me is that the juvenile centers actually have goals for the juveniles so that they can work on issues that they need to work on. With the juveniles having goals that he or she all have set out for them to accomplish. I also like the juvenile center’s approach to dealing with the kids. Their plan is change the way that the juveniles think, so that he or she will not act the same way that he or she acted to get to the spot that they are currently in. The center also has a goal for their residents. They plan to provide a safe and secure place for them to be held while the juveniles serve out their time. I also like how they have points that they can earn to buy items in the center. This will help to influence them to do the right things while they are being held instead of refusing to cooperate with the officers working at the Juvenile Center. I also am really impressed that they believe that people can change. I also believe in this, but this center is actually giving these young offenders an opportunity to make that change happen. Juveniles who are being treated with care and respect will be more likely to cooperate with the workers in the Juvenile Center, and will be less likely to refuse the help that is provided for them. -crispychicken711
The goal of the Juvenile Delinquency Center is to provide a safe and clean environment for the residences who are in the system. Not every crime a child commits will place them in the delinquency center. They have a ten-point system that allows the child’s crime to be graded, this judges the severity of the crime. By using this grading system, it reduces the number of small offices. I think that is a good approach since not every crime a child commits needs to placed in the delinquency center. After the crime has been committed the child will stand before the judge within 40 hours of the crime. This is a fairly new requirement for the state of Illinois. Currently, the center is in control of 34 juveniles. They have a total of sixty beds. So, they have the ability to double in size. They do not allow the juveniles to double bunk with other juveniles, this is different from the jail. It is much safer to avoid double bunk. The average age of a resident is between thirteen and sixteen years old. At present, the facility has 77 percent male residents while the females are at 23 percent. There is some separation between genders, however, they do still interact with one another. For instance, during the day in class, the males sit in front, while the females sit behind. This reduces some tension between them, as some of the males would touch and pick on a few females. This is highly uncalled for, since this facility is a zero-tolerance center. They strive on providing a safe place for their employees and the residences. I think this goal is admirable, and every facility should procced with this goal in mind. There are sixteen juvenile delinquency centers through out the state of Illinois. I am surprised there aren’t more facilities in the state. Some counties have a contract with other counties that have a juvenile center; since not every county in Illinois has the funds or resources for their own center. As a career, I think becoming a juvenile delinquency officer would be an experience of a life time. Becoming a positive role model for so many juveniles would have such a great impact on the community. -CoalRoller711
In the class when they were talking about the juveniles it really gave me so much knowledge of how they take care of the kids in there. Me wanting to become a probation officer for kids first will help me prepared for older people and with some of the information I got today helped. I like how they give the kids chances in there. They mentioned that they have levels which is level 1,2, and 3. Level on is when they first start out in the center and get into the program they have fewer things like no additional calls, regular food, go to sleep at 8pm, Just not enough free time which is good because you wouldn’t want the kids coming into the center thinking it’s a game and just them living there living great Level 2,3 get more advantages like 2 phone calls, snacks, but level three get food. They can go to sleep at 9 and 10 pm and get a little free time than the rest of the kids. I feel the program workers well and is a good idea because it will allow the kids to grow and become better when they get released. It will be something at the end of the week for them to look forward to. Its also good because they don’t want the kids to be depressed in there. They made a mistake and it getting punished for it but, also getting help while in their and working on their social skills. They also, talked about how they break up fights or bad things like that. I know in the center they don’t have any type of weapons all they have is their keys, radio, and mouth. Your mouth is the most important things. You have to know how to talk to be and calm them down when they are angry and you have to learn to ignore. Of course, there are going to be people that say stupid things but you have to be smarter. I learned a lot from the special guess and hope when we go on the tour to learn more. -babyblue711
The Juvenile Detention Center gave good information about their program and what they do. Their are only 16 juvenile detentions in the state of Illinois.The Peoria Juvenile Detention Center hold residents ages 10 through 17 sometimes 18 to 21 in some cases and is very rare for that to happen. There are males and females in this program but mostly males. Their ratio is 1 worker to 8 residents. Their main goal is to make sure their residents are safe and secure during their court process. They are given 3 meals a day and 1 snack. The main meals come from the jail so it's not very good food. Their families are able to to visit every day and residents are allowed to make phone calls. The Juvenile Detention Center hold up to 63 beds. Each person will have their sleeping room, no one is roomed together. When in your room you are being checked on every 15 mins and if your on suicidal watch you are being checked on every 4 minutes. At the center they have a Behavior Modification Program. This program is to try and help fix and/or change the wrong behavior a resident presents or have been doing. Within this program they have something called strategies to increase appropriate behavior. Awarding points is one of the strategies. You can get points from respect/ignore, participation/talking and area. Their a many ways to earn points and 700 is the most points you can earn in a week. Another strategy is praise, you get awarded/recognized for something you usually don't do or meeting your goals. Which your goals are you focusing on a problematic behavior that you have been doing. You also can earn coupons which are used to purchase things such as: more phone calls, better food, staying up later and etc. There is also a level system that the residents follow. There are 3 levels which 3 being the highest. Your goal is to be on level 3 when you first get into the juvenile detention you are put into level 1 and you want to work your way up. Also they have strategies to decrease inappropriate behavior. The two main things they do is time-out and ignoring. Time-out time starts off as 5 mins and that starts when you do what your suppose to do. For example, if you get put in time-out for sagging and your standing standing in time-out your time doesn't start until you pull your pants up. Overall I think the Peoria Juvenile Detention Center is a great place for a juvenile to go if they are into trouble and waiting to go to court because they are safe and can learn to change their ways while in their and maybe become a better person. -ny711
People from the Juvenile Detention Center came in and talked to us about everything they do and what its like to work for the Juvenile Detention Center. They started off by telling us that generally it's the teenagers but they can take kids 10-17 years old and the main fact that they want to do is provide a safe environment for both the workers and the kids. To admit a kid they have a point system that they do and to see if they can be admitted into the center. A rule they follow is that in less than 40 hours they have to be in front of a judge to see what will happen to the kids, they go home or they stay at the Juvenile Detention Center. If they get access of the kid they then admit them into the facility and then make sure that they have medical attention, healthy, and that they are treated humanely. The thing I like the most is that every kid has their own room and that they are secured, they mentioned that they check on the kid every 15 minutes unless, which I like this policy, they are on suicide watch that they check every 4 minutes. Most of the kids that they have are just under house arrest with ankle or wrist bracelets and they only have one person checking in on all of the kids. What reassured me was when they said that everything that they do is based on the cognitive model, which means its just evidence based on research and evidence. One of the most interesting and probably most effective things they do is that they do a point reward system with the kids, so when kids come into the center they start at level one and they work their way up from level one to two to three which is interesting to me because they are conditioning the kids to learn that if they do good then they will be rewarded and this would condition them to do the same at home. The thing that was really good idea was that they have a 30-5 method that means if they don't follow the original 5 minute time out they can get for something minor then they will do a 30 minute and then a 5 minute. Seem's like a very interesting and nice job to have. Thank you guys for coming in and talking to us. -z33 711
I thought the people from the Juvenile Detention Center had a lot of good thoughts and information about the Juvenile Detention Center. It was very intriguing what they had to say about the specific rules and regulations they have for the inmates in their facility. Their number one goal is safety. Not only for the kids but also for the supervisors I charge. I thought it was very interesting that they don’t have any sort of weapon or restraint in order for protection, only a radio to call for help. I also would have never guessed that coed pods would be acceptable and work out. Another thing I thought was interesting was the different levels they have for the kids. I also think it is a good idea, there’s goals for the kids to achieve to show that they are respectful and responsible. This can also be a learning curve for the students and can help them better achieve obstacles later on in life. Most kids in the Juvenile Detention Center have never gotten this sort of parenting and disciple in their life. So they don’t understand the concept or how it can provide and help them later on in life to know what is acceptable and not acceptable in the real world. The disciple can help them become better and listen and make better decisions. They then can pass this onto younger family members and even their kids when they have them. Rewarding the kids for good behavior instantaneously is such a good method. Explaining it is even better. Many parents don’t follow this rule but according to psychology it is the most effective way in order for them to learn and the good continuous behavior to occur. Even when you are discipling, instantaneous discipline is the most effective way in order to succeed towards good behavior. I also thought that having visiting hours seven days a week is a good idea. This helps the kids remain a relationship to the people around them, it also gives them an opportunity to rebuild relationships that might’ve been hampered because of their decision to end up in the Juvenile Detention Center. After hearing them talk it makes me consider this career. I have also enjoyed working with kids, and have been told that is it truly a gift that I have. But have never considered it in my career path until now. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I think a Juvenile detention center is a great center to have for use. I think it's a way to correct kids who have started down the wrong path, and put them on the right path. I think it's rehabilitating environment can really help children correct their manners, and learn how to be successful in life. The speakers stated in class that the kids who are residents, still go to school, they are still allowed to do things a normal kid would, just with strict supervision. The speakers also stated that discipline the kids with timeouts, and it has shown to work. They said that fights between the residents and staff occur very rarely, I think it is good that the staff has total control over the residents. It provides a safe, and secure environment for the residents to get better. I like how they have the level system. It's a good tool to motivate kids, to become better. If the kid behaves well that week, or day then they get rewarded. I think that is the perfect way to rehabilitate, and correct certain behaviors that the certain kid is displaying. The speakers also stated that even when a resident does something slightly respectful, the staff members will give them verbal praise, and add points to their score for that period. I think the point system is also a great idea. I like how they have two chances a day to earn 25 point. They can earn it in the morning or afternoon. So if the resident has a bad morning they have chance to earn those points back in the afternoon or vice versa. The environment there is very secure. She stated that all residents are entitled to their rights, and if they feel their rights have been violated, then they can report it. They multiple ways to call for help. I also think it's good that the staff there doesn't intimidate the residents. They do not use mace, batons, and they rarely use handcuffs unless they have too. They use verbal skills, and timeouts, to get the resident to calm down if they are throwing a fit. All in all I think the juvenile detention center is a great tool to have to correct America's future. I-Like-Cereal711
The JDC opened in 1996, it has 63 beds. They do not use all of the 63 beds at eh JDC as the average population of residents is around 35. That’s not to say that they have not been close to the max number of beds because two years ago they had around 60 residents. 3 to 5 of the beds are on contract to Decatur which they will sometimes send their troubled youths. Just for the promise of 3 to 5 beds the JDC gets $250,000 dollars a year. The ages that are sent to the JDC are 10 to 17, on very special cases 18 to 21. The average age though is between 13 and 16. The make up is 77 percent males and 33 percent females. The older males are separated from the females and put in A pod. The females and the younger males are put in B pod. The racial make up at the JDC is 32 percent Caucasian, 67 percent African American, and 1 percent Hispanic and Asian. The stay at the JDC that most of the youths will do is on average 21 days. Most of the youths will not even stay at the JDC, Only the kids that score high enough on the screening test earn a bed at the JDC. For example if two youths commit the same crime that doesn’t mean that they will do the same time at the JDC. The screening test takes in account other priors that the kids have and that is what determines if you are staying the night in the JDC. On of the bad things about the screening process is that it does not take in account mental illness of the Children. The main goal after the screening test is to provide a safe place for the troubled youth. In 2014 when they changed over to their new behavioral system they had the most restraints they had seen. In November 2014 they had 90 restraints. In the following year they dropped that number to only 30 restraints. These kids are given a room with a single bed, no double bunks, and 3 meals a day plus snacks. They are protected from physical, mental, and verbal abuse. They are also given hygiene products, physical activity, vaccines, medicine, doctor visits, education, and visitation rights 7 days a week. -ClarkKent711
Okay so I learned a whole lot with this speech rather than the adult jail. I always heard people say Jdc is like a big daycare and after they talked about it I really see why they said that all my years growing up. I feel like its kids who go back and fourth into JDC because of how sweet it is. Then when they get shipped to real jail they realize how hard it really is. I feel like they shouldn't be able to play no playstation or any of that if they're In there. I guess in a way its good they have all those programs and things for the kids that go to JDC. I like how they can earn points and level up and be able to do different things and eat different food but I feel like that feel more like a vacation then a place for punishment. I also like how they call the kids residents instead of inmates that help to no label them and the kids live up to that label. Like if they were to be Called an inmate they probably would do inmate like things just because that label is already on their back. In another since I like how the kids are still treated as kids in a way instead of throwing them in jail and treating them like animals but then again I feel like the system is the reason why people go back to jdc. I like how they talk to the kids about goals and their future because some of those kids don't have anyone in their life asking those questions or helping them make goals and accomplishing them. I feel like adult jails should follow a similar code just because I feel like everyone should be treated as humans instead of animals. I feel like the young lady and young man really work well with the kids and really want to help as many kids as they can I would say all but thats impossible but I know they are trying to be that positive influence in those kids lives and i got that feeling off of hearing them talk to the class. -Jollyrancher7111
When listening to the JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) officers I think they went over the policies in a good way. They house ages 10-17 or 18-21 just depends on the crime itself and the circumstances of it Most of the kids in there though are from ages 13-16.While in there the kids are treated fairly. They get three meals a day; Breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the things that I really liked is that the kids automatically have to go school in there. They get up everyday and participate in class. The detention center have Limestone teaches come in and teach them. I feel like that is important because they need to learn there education somewhere and start somewhere and in Jdc they don't have a choice. They also have a hotline for abuse in there which to me is outstanding because the kids know they can report anything and it makes them feel more safe.In the facilities the kids can get visitation 7 days a week from their parents. They all get there own room. I think that's good because they still need personal space. The staff checks on them every 15 minutes. They have more males than females. Males rank at 77% while girls 23%, They have a behavioral modification program cognitive model. The goals are to increase appropriate behavior, decrease inappropriate behavior, and to improve pro-social skills. This are good goals because kids always need thing to challenge them. Each kid gets 50 points per shift allowing them to possibly get 700 points in one week. They have three levels in Jdc. The first level is when they first enter, they have to be in bed by 8;15, they get two phone calls and no commissary. Level 2 they have to be in bed by 9pm they get two extra phone calls, ps3,tvs, and can purchase commissary. Level 4 they have to be in bed by 10pm they get three extra phone calls, ps4 and prices go down on everything for them. In this facilities they have to earn coupons for condiments like salt and pepper. I think it’s a good policy though because it challenges them to due better, to use their manners. Over all I agree with their policies. They are protecting the kids, while still making sure they get there education. They are trying their hardest to make sure they don’t have to see the kids in that situation again.~Justice711
I like what the juvenile correctional center is doing with their residents. They try to discipline them without being unnecessarily harsh which is good in my opinion. Their level system is very good and well thought out. Limiting kids to what they can and cannot buy really encourages them to better themselves and behave. The reward and discipline system is a very good one as well. Our speakers emphasized the process of disciplining and rewarding kids on the spot; rewarding and disciplining these kids on the spot reinforces what they did right or wrong and encourages them to stop or repeat the behavior. I always like the laws they talked about like the forty-hour law that juveniles must be seen by a judge within forty hours. This makes sure the kids are in and out in a timely manner and are not punished for something they don’t necessarily need to be punished for. The evaluation makes a lot of sense too. After looking at it I thought that it was very reasonable, and I see why it is used. Repeat offenders are more likely to be brought into the facility much like it would be in adult court. So although they are juveniles they do need to have somewhat of the same consequences as adult offenders. This way when they become adults and still chose that type of life they know what to expect and they cannot act as if its surprise. One f the things I recognized in their presentation was when they started talking about the things that the kids would say to throw officers off or get under the skin of others: The derogatory terms, slang terms, and insults. I could relate to this because I saw it used every day at the high school I graduated from. It is amazing the things that kids can make up to be little someone, and it is good that they try to stop that and change it. – RickyBobby711
Although the detention center is not a good place to be at it also is not a hard core prison like the county jail. The juvenile detention center is a place for juveniles that is I the age range of (10-17). The resident’s rights are set up to keep them safe and protected. All youths will get a physical within a week, mental and emotional. Proper shelter is provided also with 3 meals and a snack a day, visits are 7 days a week (so the youths family can come see them every day if they would like) grievance are available whenever the youths feel a need to complain, no youths share rooms and limestone high school works with them to keep the youths involved in school. The population of residents in the juvenile detention center is 34 yearly, mostly full of males. The number of residents that is currently on home detention of house arrest (ankle monitor) is 45 and only one guy is in charge of the home monitors. The detention center has a “point sheet” set up to help te youths focus on doing good in getting awarded for it. The youths can earn 50 points a shift and if you earn enough you can go up a level. Level one is blue shirts and you only have 1 call a week, level 2 is green shirts with only 2 calls and level 3 is orange shirts with 3 calls a week. There is also other rewards such as parties and snack and many more things for the good youths The youths behavior is what determines what their stay will be like and what rewards they will earn.
I enjoyed the speakers from the juvenile detention facility and the information they brought to our attention that we might not have already known about. The speakers gave us a run down of how kids are scored into the facility, the different pods they would be put into, extra curricular activities, types of punishments they would run into for their behavior, and praises they could recieve for positive behavior. The speakers also shared with us that the kids held in the facility still recieved education though Limestone high school which i think is cool and very important. I feel like with education, lunch and recess still gives them a feel for the outside world and knowing that they won't be treated harshly, but fairly. If these kids were treated how adult prisoners were treated and were expected to get out in lets say a month, they would view people and situations so harsh and differently just because of how cruel their stay was as 10-18 year olds. Another thing I found interesting was how the staff did not carry any type of protection or weapons incase or a dangerous situation between the child and the staff or even if the situation was the children against each other. I would honestly be at least somewhat afraid just because I know things such as mace or even handcuffs are not on my person incase a dangerous situation would occur. That makes me wonder if the kids know that staff don't have any protection or weapons on them and if they did would this cause them to be more bold and act out aggressively. Overall I am excited to go on the visit and get the in person experience from what the speakers gave to us. Redbird 711
I really enjoyed listening to the juvenile detention center presentation. Learning that they opened in 1999. They have 63 bed but they currently only have a population of 34 kids. I loved hearing about how they treat the kids and how when they are in the detention center they are also going to class and getting an education. I feel as if most of the kid probably don’t go to school because their parent or legal guardian don’t force or encourage them to go or maybe can’t get them to attend. To hear that they are so well looked after and respected because I feel like when people hear a juvenile detention center they think of a dirt and non caring place. I thought it was really neat and interesting hear how they use incentives to reward the kids. Also learning some of the items that are on each level and what they can purchase with their coupons. How they can purchase different kinds of food, or with the different levels get more phone calls, stay up later. Also how they use different shirt colors to represent the different levels and also show who is on what level. I think that the way that they handle when a kid misbehaves or lash out is very important and also think that the 30,5,30 was interesting to hear about and how after that they don’t want to stay in there room because obviously they don’t want to sit in their for 65 minutes. I mean I know I wouldn’t want to sit in my room for 65 minutes with no mattress and no book. It was so interest to hear that when they sit in the focus groups they hear from other kids maybe something that should be their goal for the week. I think that they kind of feedback can be hard to hear for some of the kids but also very beneficial to the kids because then it can help them realize problem that can be corrected to help better their future self. I can’t wait to visit the juvenile detention center. -mmmChicken711
I found it very interesting how the juvenile detention center runs. I also found it very interesting that they only have 63 beds. And they never double bunk which is very interesting and i never thought that it would be such a big deal until i actually thought about it. It also surprised me that the younger groups are co ed and that they can do everything together. I thought it would be a lot bigger. Also how much the number has dropped. I also didn't know that they used so many incentives i thought it was just a lot of punishments. I think it's definitely a god thing that the use the point system and have certain things like food and later sleeping times. Also how if you are good all week and have 700 points you get to order from a restaurant and that's something that would push a lot of kids to do good however once out of that environment what's going to be their incentive for being good. I also was very shocked when he was talking about how many people are their to work, it seems like they are really outnumbered and things can turn south very quickly. I also did not know gangs were such a big thing i really didn't think that just because they live in a certain part of town that they would be treated differently. I think its cool how they really focus on getting the kids to do better and how the judge can look at everything they did to determine if they get to go home or not. I also like how they explained the process to get to wok there and how she handed out the internship cards. -pizza711
I found the juvenile detention center presentation very interesting. I learned that they opened in 1999 and that they have 63 beds, but currently have a population of only 34, age ranging from 10 to 17. The detention center is a place where juveniles that have been charged with a criminal offense are held. I learned the rights that they have. The rights include protection from abuse, health care, treated humanely, communicate with their attorney/family, clean clothes, not discrimation, access to education, receive mail, and visitations. The juvenile has their own room, plus a mattress, a blanket, and sheets. They also have a grievance system. Basically, this system is an official statement of compliant over something they believe was unfair to them. The average length in the detention center is 21 days. Also the 77 percent of the population is male and 23 percent is female. They also have a behavior modification program. This program focuses on the concept that thinking and attitudes influence our behavior and also that by changing the behavior by changing residents thinking. The research indicates that the highest risk factor for re-offending is criminogenic thinking and attitudes. Another thing they have is a level system. Everyone starts at level one upon entering the facility, and advances their way through by requiring a certain number of points, meeting a weekly goal and passing the RBI test. There are three components to reduce re-offending. The first one is the strategies to increase appropriate behavior. They have weekly goals for the resident to focus on a particular problematic behavior that could lead to consequences for them. The component also includes the level-system. The second component is decreasing inappropriate behavior. One strategy is to ignore the behavior. The behavior is to tissue a consequence or handles an extreme circumstance or emergency. Another strategy is a time-out. Using this strategy is to extinguish an inappropriate behavior. During this time they can reflect on what they did and how they could have handled the situation different. The final component is to improve pro-social skills. I feel like what the juvenile detention center is really trying to help out the residents that are there. – Adventureflight711
After having the two guest speakers come and speak to us recently, it’s really opened my eyes up to how our juvenile corrections system works. One of the first big things I learned from the two speakers was that when juveniles are first sent to their facilities, they are scored using a “screening sheet.” On this sheet, things like prior arrests, additional current/pending offenses, and risk of failure to appear are all scored based on the juvenile’s history. Once they have a score, they use this to determine whether they need to be incarcerated or put on some sort of supervision. Once they’ve been screened, juveniles have 40 hours to be put before a judge, who will ultimately decide what will be done with them. Although it seems like the juveniles don’t have a whole lot of say in what happens to them during this time or while incarcerated, they do still have rights. According to our two guest speakers, the juveniles can file a grievance letter into a locked box if they feel as though any of their rights have been violated. There are very few people who even have access to this box, so the juveniles should feel as though they can put their letters in with confidence and without fear of repercussion for speaking out. Some statistics that were mentioned during the lecture of our two speakers were that there are currently 34 juvenile inmates in the local facility (down quite a bit from 2016, as it was 65- which was full capacity), 77% of the juvenile inmates are males with the other 23% being female (2016), there are 40-50 kids on home detention with ankle bracelets currently with only one probation officer responsible for all of them, and that there are currently 15 juvenile facilities in Illinois as of 2018. One of the last things I’d like to mention that I found very interesting from our speakers was how their behavior modification system works in their juvenile facilities. They have 3 levels, in which you can progress through via good behavior, noticeable better behavior and by completing goals. On level one, which is where everyone starts, you have no access to commissary, you’re in bed by 8:15 pm every night, and you receive no extra calls. As you progress your way up, you can gain privilege to things like commissary, extra phone calls, ps3 and ps4 play time you can purchase, later bedtimes, and cheaper prices for everything pretty much just in general. All in all, I definitely learned quite a bit from our two guest speakers and am absolutely looking forward to seeing them again on our tour of their facility, being as I now know much more about how it all works. GMan219711
The Juvenile Detention Center in our city has 63 beds, and three pods. A pod is for the older males and B pod is for the males and females and are typically 10-17 years of age. They have a C pod but it is currently not being used. Right now they have 30 kids in the facility. They each have their own rooms so they do not have to share with another child. They are checked on by the guards/employees every 15 minutes and if they go on suicide watch for any reason then they are checked on every four minutes. All of the arrests of these children, when they come in they are screened prior to see if they can even be taken into the center. There is a paper that they are rated off of and if they exceed the amount of points then they can be accepted. The center has a full time mental health professional and a psychiatrist comes once a week and the health department comes in every two weeks. According to their 2016 statistics, they average at 35 residents, length of stay is usually 21 days, males in the facility: 77%, females are 23%. Caucasians make up 32% and African Americans make up 67%, while hispanics and asian american is about, less than 1%. JDC has 45 kids at home on monitoring though. The majority of kids end up having a public defender and the majority of them plead guilty. They have phones throughout the center if kids ever wanted to just pick it up they can and they can call the police for whatever reason they want to. Four times a day a focus group is offered for them, where they help with anger management, behavior trainings and moral reasoning. They are "super structured" here at JDC. They hold a behavior modification program that is evidence based to work. This is where they make them repeat sayings to get it in their head as such, "What I am today is a reflection of what I have learned, not my potential". They also have strategies to increase appropriate behavior where they award points in 5 areas. In the respect/ignore (if when another resident makes obnoxious statements and the child ignores the other); cooperation/participation, talking, area and gestures. They can score up to 100 points a day as there are 4 periods of ranking. The kids get coupons which can go to commissary or better hygiene products, or just time out of their pod. If they decide to act up they get a 30 minute reflect to their room and then have to come back and sit in the corner for a 5 minute time out. Or they are simply ignored to the most they can be in the hopes that eventually no one will be egging them on or paying attention and they will give up as they are not receiving that attention. I am super glad we had the time to talk with these superintendents because it gave me a taste of what it is like in their facility. I have been to a county jail before and obviously they kind of play by a different set of rules but I am very excited for our tour. I think the way they do things here is interesting and very accommodating and kind for these children because I can imagine some of the places these young kids are coming from, they may be getting better treatment and talked to better here which make trigger something for them. I think it was very informational. -notacop711
The people that were from the juvenile detention center gave a very interesting speech. It’s good to see people that are working with children to try and change their way of thinking and help them change their lives so they don’t become adult offenders. One of the things I liked hearing them talk about was how they have been working on positive reinforcement over negative reinforcement. The system they have where the kids can earn points for good behavior that they can turn around and use to purchase certain benefits like food or video games. One thing I thought was kind of weird was using condiments as an incentive, never would of thought to do that. Their system for how to deal with bad behavior is good as well. I like how they use time outs and require the kids to serve them correctly otherwise they would have to start over. The level system is neat as well, I can see how that gives them an incentive to do well as it gives them something to work towards and look forward to. I think that besides just rewarding their good behavior it teaches them a little about how other elements of life work. Some of their stories were pretty interesting. I always hear about gang violence in adult prisons but never really thought about it happening in a juvenile detention center. It seems that it’s much rarer with juveniles but can still be a problem. I’m glad to see people in juvenile justice that care about the kids and take pride in seeing them succeed outside of the detention center. I think this is an important part of the criminal justice system and it’s vital to get to kids before they become adult offenders and get into something they aren’t go to be able to get out of. I think there a lot of kids out there in the system that really just need to be given a chance to succeed and many are being denied that opportunity. Maybe if we focus on putting programs in place that help kids stay away from crime we could have less adult crime and more people growing up to be productive citizens instead of just sitting in a prison cell their whole life costing tons of money. Avatar711
The individuals that came into class to talk about the Juvenile Detention Center really got their program figured out. They have a great system. I like the fact that while they are trying to discipline the kids, they are trying to teach them right from wrong. They have a system set up that when they do something right, they are rewarded. For example if they don't use curse words they will get rewarded with points. The points can lead to a free mini pizza, or an hour on the Play station 4. They are teaching these kids that with good behavior, comes good things in life. It is a very good tactic. I like how if the kids get into a fight, instead of the old system where they put them in confinement for a whole 24 hours they will put them in their room for an hour to think about what they did. It is proven to them that it works better than 24 hours in their room. I think overall the administration at the JDC really care about the kids and their well being. They want the best for them. They want them to succeed. It makes them happy if they run into a former kid they had and hear about the success they are having. Overall the system works well and it sounds worlds better than the previous system they had. -Bearsfan98
I really enjoyed having the juvenile detention center people come and speak to our class. It takes a special person to have the patience to try to take care of these children and try to turn their actions around to better their life. They really cared about the kids and you could tell. They were really big on rewarding kids for being good which is really good to do. Some of these kids may not have a great support system at home and may not acknowledge them if they do something right. The people at the Juvenile detention center are rewarding these kids with coupons to buy things or throwing them parties at the end of the weeks for all of the well behaved kids. They were also sure to say that when you are praising someone that you should do it right when it happens so the kid remembers what they have done. They are also really good about keeping a good eye on all of the kids in the center. They are checked on to make sure they are okay every fifteen minutes. If any of the kids in the center happen to be suicidal, then these kids will be checked on every four minutes to make sure that they are safe in their rooms. The center holds 63 beds and the kids that come to the center are between the ages of ten and 17. 77 percent of the people in the center are male and 23 percent female. On average the center will have around 35 kids every day. While only having 35 kids in the actual center, they still are keeping tabs on some kids that are on home detention. There are 40 to 50 kids on home detention that one guy is in charge of taking care of and making sure they are doing everything they need. Something else that i thought was really cool was how they have teachers come in everyday to teach kids so they are not falling behind in school while they are at the center which is so important. -Steel711
I really like that the JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) is really trying to make the purpose feel accurate while still trying to make everyone incarcerated feel comfortable. They have 3 tiers a week on how they grade everyone. Obviously 3 is the best, they allow more food options at 3 and they allow time to play video games on a PlayStation 4. I like how they give time for one hour of outside activities and still 45 minutes of weight lifting. I really like how they answered a couple of my questions but really liked when they answered my question about what the procedures would be for severe weather. In a tornado they have all the residents get under their beds and brace and during a blizzard they will have special escorts bring employees to work and they will have some of them stay in empty bunks. I like how the jails provide food for the JDC, even though the residents can still get food tickets to get more food or higher tier food. As of right now the average amount of residents the JDC has is 34 and that is a low number. Each room in the JDC is a single bed room. I like how they have their check up system, every 15 minutes they checks the rooms to see if every one is doing well or doing what they are suppose to. If they have someone who is on suicide watch they check up on them every 4 minutes. They also told us that every activity or lunch is mixed so boys and girls are in the same gym or lunch. I also like how they said their is a schooling system too, we did not talk much about it but I am very happy knowing the kids are still getting their basic education. Going back to the teir system they have, if you do something nice that you regularyly would not do it is called praise and you can earn points based on stuff like that. I really think that the people who are working the JDC are doing their bests just to keep the building a happy and friendly place and I am very excited to see the JDC someday or even work in it. -MyHandle711
So, I do like some of the policies the JDC have set up for the juveniles and some I really don’t agree with at all. The three levels they have set up for the juveniles to earn some privileges are something I can deal with. However, these kids are in JDC for a reason and shouldn’t be given video game systems. They are there to learn from their mistakes and become better, than they were before coming in to the JDC. If they are given these privileges, they are just going to think it is that simple and be on their way. The whole timeout thing is ridiculous as well. That’s for toddlers who act up. If you want to teach these kids how to be proper adults don’t treat them like children. I understand the role of the JDC is to provide these kids with the proper safety and security. It is nice however that these kids have rights to the proper health care they need to have currently. The whole right to be treated humanely is something that should be a known given. If we really want these kids to grow into mature adults treating them humanely is key. With the facility being a 63 bed and 5 reserved for Macomb juveniles they have a lot on their plate since one worker is given 8 juveniles to watch over. The sleeping arrangement doesn’t bother me for the fact that they are checked every 15 mins and if juveniles placed on suicide watch every 4 minutes to be safe. They said that they have two blocks one for the younger kids and one for the older kids. What they told us about the gender ratio compared between male and female was drastic in my point of view. With the males having more than three quarters of the population and the females having slightly less than a quarter of the population. You would think that they would separate the two, but they said that it was coed. I do like seeing that they make the kids go to school while they are there to help build their future lives. Hopefully all of this prevents them from reoffending later down the road and keeping themselves away from danger. -Rollforinitiative711
part one: The visitors from the Juvenile Detention Facility were both very interesting. Though they both had a lot to say, I was more engaged in Tim’s part of the conversation than the woman that was there. They both seemed very energized and I loved that about their presentation. PCJDC is a place where juveniles who have been charged with a criminal offense and/or have been ordered by the court are held. Smith explained to us that all arrests are screened and accepted or denied based on the score from the screening. As soon as they are screened they have forty hours until they go before a judge. After explaining this she told us about a resident’s rights at PCJDC, she did go quite fast so I did not get all them down BUT I did write down the one’s that stuck out to me the most 1: they are protected against physical, mental, and emotional abuse 2: they have access to health care 3: they have a right to education. Education was the one that got me the most because she told us that they would go to school as they normally would and then return to PCJDC afterword. I thought this was cool because they can still have an average child’s education even though they are housed at the facility. After Smith had finished her section of the presentation Tim had taken over. -tanlion-nala711
part two: Tim talked to us about the Behavior Modification Program: Cognitive Model. This model focuses on the concept that thinking and attitudes influence our behavior. Therefore, they change the resident’s behavior by changing their thinking. After introducing the program he explained how they increase positive behavior. All of this was interesting to me because it reminded me how we would treat a dog. Not saying that they are animals WE ARE ALL HUMAN but it made me think of training. Which in a way it is because we are retraining their minds to be more into the right mindset. He explained that the residents can earn points, a total of fifty, every day. They look for things like Respect, Cooperation/participation, Talk, and Area. Things like these would include, for example: A juvenile takes the time to pick up after themselves and also someone else if they leave something on the table, or holding the door open for everyone before they enter a room, etc. Though these seem like little things, The little things count for the big picture. It is also important that while they are seeing this positive behavior, they praise that resident on the spot. For example, if they did pick something up after someone else or maybe several people, they would praise them on the spot and say “hey good job *insert reason for praise here*” A gesture to a resident is very important as well. So after they are praised they may be given something. A big example: Coupons: utilized to provide residents with a tangible reinforcer for positive behavior rather than something verbal. They also have the residents make goals so that they have something to improve on, so if a resident is known for cursing a lot, that could be something to improve on. After talking about positive reinforcers, he talked about the levels of the program. It consists of three levels. All Residents start on level one and have level one privileges upon admittance into the facility. Residents must pass a new orientation test before earning privileges. The case he mentioned was a different colored shirt. The Residents advance through the level system by earning the required number of points, meeting their weekly goal contract, AND passing a weekly level RBT test. NOTE: each shift someone can earn fifty points. That is a total of one hundred a day. That’s a total of seven hundred a week. So that means seven hundred points a week plus everything listed above. -tanlion-nala711
part three: After the positive behaviors and reinforcements we got do negative behaviors and punishments. He explained that they only time they provide attention to negative behavior is to issue a consequence or handle an extreme circumstance or emergency (those big ones can require from up to two extra officers or even all of staff depending on how bad the emergency is). Time-outs was a big one we talked about. The definition from the screen was: The purpose is to extinguish an inappropriate behavior, this is a time the resident can reflect on what they did and how they could have handled the situation differently. Though I said “Punishment” for this section Time-outs are NOT PUNISHMENT- “it simply seeks to remove all possible reinforcers for the inappropriate behavior they have exhibited. Then he and Smith explained the types of time-outs. The first one was a thirty and five. And a thirty, thirty, and five. Both of which result in time-outs. What I liked about this the most was was Tim explained, “ We let them get all of their anger, irritation, and venting out first so that when they start a time out of any sort they are calm. There are times when we put them right on the wall and they are still cussing and irritated, once they realize they have been there for a long amount of time, they will realize their time has yet to start and know that if they are quiet , their timer will finally start. -tanlion-nala711
part four: On another side note smith explained how their shifts worked different when it comes to sleeping rooms. Each resident ah their own sleeping room. This comes with a mattress, sheet, pillow, and a choice of book. If they are on suicide watch, an officer has to check their room every four minutes, for other juveniles those could be other times, but for the suicide watch’s safety it is best four minutes. You’d be amazed at how many ways a person could think and act of killing themselves. She also mentioned that PCJDC has 35 residents, they are usually there 21 days detention. Males: 77% and Females 23% for the population at the facility. Caucasian: 37% and African American: 67%. She told us that it use to be about fifty residents but that has dropped to the half (35 residents) that there are now which I think is an extremely good thing. -tanlion_nala711
part five: Overall this talk was extremely interesting and I was engaged throughout the whole thing. Even though I did not ask any questions, many were answered that I would have and those questions were answered in extreme depth. This was way more interesting than reading it in a text book for sure! I did an internship with the Sheriff’s office and was right next door to this building the whole entire time but had no idea what happened in there until these two came in. The handouts they gave us were extremely helpful as well, especially when they walked us through how to use the score/screening sheet. -Tanlion_nala711
I do like some of the policies the Juvenile Detention Center have in order for the juveniles. They’re really taking good care of the juveniles and not really making them feel like criminals except for those that walks in the door giving them a hard time of course not sure if it’s because they are so young but their programs and the entire set up they have for them are really nice. They’re already suffering from their action by being in there. Some of the things i heard that was available i was really surprised like the 7 days a week visiting time. They have open activities for them and they don't haveeperated for the whole day it’s like they’re leaving regularly but very less freedom not saying this is great forgetting the acting they upheld to get them sent to the Juvenile Detention but some are very young and i wouldn’t say don’t know any better but really at their age their actions sometime comes from thing they’ve seen others do or lack of parenting period. This place will influence them to do right things if they have a second chance.They plan to provide a secure and safe place for them to be held while the juveniles serve out all of their time. The times they check on the kids while they’re in their cells which is every 15 minutes and if they’re on suicide watch it’s every 4 minutes I like that because it doesn’t give them enough time to do anything that’ll harm themselves or others. I like the 5 minutes times out they’re given to collect and calm themselves down instead of like real jail that’s an instant way to send some to “the hole” they call it which would be for weeks or even months depending on their actions. I also love the 1,2, and 3 level they give the kids to ern thing because they’ll help them improve their behavior and actually get back in the habit of remembering things aren’t just given to you the easy way you have to work for it and work even harder to keep it. Teaches those about leadership as well.-KenzieLand711
I learned some very interesting things about the detention center. The facility has sixty three beds. Determining on whether or not the adolescent needs to be in the detention center is based on a score sheet. If the person scores a ten, they are going to the detention center. If they have a score that is between zero or nine, they will most likely be released to their parents or guardian. The adolescents are given clean clothes and they can shower daily. The rooms are single bedrooms. They are able to get an education as well. The facility makes sure to keep up on their vaccines and medications. That shows that they are taken care of. They check on everyone every fifteen minutes and if they are on suicide watch, they check on them every four minutes. I think that's awesome because suicide in teens and young adults is happening more today than it has in the past. The detetention center has two phones and if the teenerager belives that their rights have been violated or something bad happened, they can use that phone and contact someone and then they will open an investigation. I thought it was good idea that they have an opportunity to earn coupons based on good behavior. These coupons can get them extra snacks, condiments, extra time out of their room, extra hygiene products, etc. They can also earn points and they sometimes have a point party. This can really help them correct their bad behavior and praise the good behavior. Parents and family are able to visit seven days a week and I thought that was really cool. They are able to receive and write mail. Everything that comes in or out goes through the detention center staff but they dont look through it. They have a PREA and it’s abbreviated for Prison Rape Elimination Act. They have a zero tolerance policy for that and I think that’s great. The average length of stay in 2016 was twenty one days but they have had some that have been there for year. They have multiple focus groups. One of them is anger management and I think these focus groups will definitely help them. -Soccer31711
So because its JDC you would feel that if a juvenile did something wrong he would automatically get sent out to JDC, that’s not the case you have to score in many for you to get accepted you would have to so many points, so a juvenile can get in trouble and have still go home and not JDC because it was the first offense or first run in with the police. You would think that because its JDC and yes, they are kids, but it would still be the same thing every day with no extra incentives. I believe that you can rehabilitate a young person without having to be so strict. Having something to work towards even if it’s like small things like scented body wash would make a kid make good decisions, because he would worry about a working harder to get that next step up the how much more time he got left. The juvenile center wants to improve the delinquent’s attitudes and decision making, not punish them. They are very well disciplined though. JDC is very big on making sure that the juvenile inmates are up to date on any vaccinations, and making sure they are healthy mentally and physically, they have a RN 40 hrs. a week and an mental health pro, they also make sure that the dentist comes at least once a month so they really want to make sure that the juvenile inmates are taking care of up to the “T” They have this program called PREA. It stands for Prison Rape Elimination Act. It’s a zero-tolerance policy. The juvenile delinquency center has two phones in the facility and any of the kids can use that phone to report something that has happened. All in all, the JDC in our town Is doing its best to help those children who walk through its doors, not walk back through them. Again, successfully rehabilitation is the key. It is good to know that my tax dollars are going to places like the JDC. As a society, people must do more, such as become mentors for instance to kids who are having problems. And in conclusion, I believe that the really try everything and anything to try to get kids on track and yes, they made a mistake but the try and steer them away from making that same mistake and again. -Statechamp711
I really like what the Juvenile Detention Center is doing with the juveniles that they are given. They do not just lock them up with adults in prisons where the child would more than likely not improve on his or her standings in the US. I feel after the two guest speakers came in to talk to us today that they are actually helping the juveniles that they are getting sent to them every day, and not just locking them up and forgetting about them. I feel that with what the two guest speakers told us in class, that the the juvenile offenders are actually receiving the help that he or she needs. One thing that stands out to me and really impresses me is that the juvenile centers actually have goals for the juveniles so that they can work on issues that they need to work on. With the juveniles having goals that he or she all have set out for them to accomplish. I also like the juvenile center’s approach to dealing with the kids. Their plan is change the way that the juveniles think, so that he or she will not act the same way that he or she acted to get to the spot that they are currently in. The center also has a goal for their residents. They plan to provide a safe and secure place for them to be held while the juveniles serve out their time. I also like how they have points that they can earn to buy items in the center. This will help to influence them to do the right things while they are being held instead of refusing to cooperate with the officers working at the Juvenile Center. I also am really impressed that they believe that people can change. I also believe in this, but this center is actually giving these young offenders an opportunity to make that change happen. Juveniles who are being treated with care and respect will be more likely to cooperate with the workers in the Juvenile Center, and will be less likely to refuse the help that is provided for them. -crispychicken711
ReplyDeleteThe goal of the Juvenile Delinquency Center is to provide a safe and clean environment for the residences who are in the system. Not every crime a child commits will place them in the delinquency center. They have a ten-point system that allows the child’s crime to be graded, this judges the severity of the crime. By using this grading system, it reduces the number of small offices. I think that is a good approach since not every crime a child commits needs to placed in the delinquency center. After the crime has been committed the child will stand before the judge within 40 hours of the crime. This is a fairly new requirement for the state of Illinois. Currently, the center is in control of 34 juveniles. They have a total of sixty beds. So, they have the ability to double in size. They do not allow the juveniles to double bunk with other juveniles, this is different from the jail. It is much safer to avoid double bunk. The average age of a resident is between thirteen and sixteen years old. At present, the facility has 77 percent male residents while the females are at 23 percent. There is some separation between genders, however, they do still interact with one another. For instance, during the day in class, the males sit in front, while the females sit behind. This reduces some tension between them, as some of the males would touch and pick on a few females. This is highly uncalled for, since this facility is a zero-tolerance center. They strive on providing a safe place for their employees and the residences. I think this goal is admirable, and every facility should procced with this goal in mind. There are sixteen juvenile delinquency centers through out the state of Illinois. I am surprised there aren’t more facilities in the state. Some counties have a contract with other counties that have a juvenile center; since not every county in Illinois has the funds or resources for their own center. As a career, I think becoming a juvenile delinquency officer would be an experience of a life time. Becoming a positive role model for so many juveniles would have such a great impact on the community. -CoalRoller711
ReplyDeleteIn the class when they were talking about the juveniles it really gave me so much knowledge of how they take care of the kids in there. Me wanting to become a probation officer for kids first will help me prepared for older people and with some of the information I got today helped. I like how they give the kids chances in there. They mentioned that they have levels which is level 1,2, and 3. Level on is when they first start out in the center and get into the program they have fewer things like no additional calls, regular food, go to sleep at 8pm, Just not enough free time which is good because you wouldn’t want the kids coming into the center thinking it’s a game and just them living there living great Level 2,3 get more advantages like 2 phone calls, snacks, but level three get food. They can go to sleep at 9 and 10 pm and get a little free time than the rest of the kids. I feel the program workers well and is a good idea because it will allow the kids to grow and become better when they get released. It will be something at the end of the week for them to look forward to. Its also good because they don’t want the kids to be depressed in there. They made a mistake and it getting punished for it but, also getting help while in their and working on their social skills. They also, talked about how they break up fights or bad things like that. I know in the center they don’t have any type of weapons all they have is their keys, radio, and mouth. Your mouth is the most important things. You have to know how to talk to be and calm them down when they are angry and you have to learn to ignore. Of course, there are going to be people that say stupid things but you have to be smarter. I learned a lot from the special guess and hope when we go on the tour to learn more. -babyblue711
ReplyDeleteThe Juvenile Detention Center gave good information about their program and what they do. Their are only 16 juvenile detentions in the state of Illinois.The Peoria Juvenile Detention Center hold residents ages 10 through 17 sometimes 18 to 21 in some cases and is very rare for that to happen. There are males and females in this program but mostly males. Their ratio is 1 worker to 8 residents. Their main goal is to make sure their residents are safe and secure during their court process. They are given 3 meals a day and 1 snack. The main meals come from the jail so it's not very good food. Their families are able to to visit every day and residents are allowed to make phone calls. The Juvenile Detention Center hold up to 63 beds. Each person will have their sleeping room, no one is roomed together. When in your room you are being checked on every 15 mins and if your on suicidal watch you are being checked on every 4 minutes. At the center they have a Behavior Modification Program. This program is to try and help fix and/or change the wrong behavior a resident presents or have been doing. Within this program they have something called strategies to increase appropriate behavior. Awarding points is one of the strategies. You can get points from respect/ignore, participation/talking and area. Their a many ways to earn points and 700 is the most points you can earn in a week. Another strategy is praise, you get awarded/recognized for something you usually don't do or meeting your goals. Which your goals are you focusing on a problematic behavior that you have been doing. You also can earn coupons which are used to purchase things such as: more phone calls, better food, staying up later and etc. There is also a level system that the residents follow. There are 3 levels which 3 being the highest. Your goal is to be on level 3 when you first get into the juvenile detention you are put into level 1 and you want to work your way up. Also they have strategies to decrease inappropriate behavior. The two main things they do is time-out and ignoring. Time-out time starts off as 5 mins and that starts when you do what your suppose to do. For example, if you get put in time-out for sagging and your standing standing in time-out your time doesn't start until you pull your pants up. Overall I think the Peoria Juvenile Detention Center is a great place for a juvenile to go if they are into trouble and waiting to go to court because they are safe and can learn to change their ways while in their and maybe become a better person.
ReplyDelete-ny711
People from the Juvenile Detention Center came in and talked to us about everything they do and what its like to work for the Juvenile Detention Center. They started off by telling us that generally it's the teenagers but they can take kids 10-17 years old and the main fact that they want to do is provide a safe environment for both the workers and the kids. To admit a kid they have a point system that they do and to see if they can be admitted into the center. A rule they follow is that in less than 40 hours they have to be in front of a judge to see what will happen to the kids, they go home or they stay at the Juvenile Detention Center. If they get access of the kid they then admit them into the facility and then make sure that they have medical attention, healthy, and that they are treated humanely. The thing I like the most is that every kid has their own room and that they are secured, they mentioned that they check on the kid every 15 minutes unless, which I like this policy, they are on suicide watch that they check every 4 minutes. Most of the kids that they have are just under house arrest with ankle or wrist bracelets and they only have one person checking in on all of the kids. What reassured me was when they said that everything that they do is based on the cognitive model, which means its just evidence based on research and evidence. One of the most interesting and probably most effective things they do is that they do a point reward system with the kids, so when kids come into the center they start at level one and they work their way up from level one to two to three which is interesting to me because they are conditioning the kids to learn that if they do good then they will be rewarded and this would condition them to do the same at home. The thing that was really good idea was that they have a 30-5 method that means if they don't follow the original 5 minute time out they can get for something minor then they will do a 30 minute and then a 5 minute. Seem's like a very interesting and nice job to have. Thank you guys for coming in and talking to us.
ReplyDelete-z33 711
I thought the people from the Juvenile Detention Center had a lot of good thoughts and information about the Juvenile Detention Center. It was very intriguing what they had to say about the specific rules and regulations they have for the inmates in their facility. Their number one goal is safety. Not only for the kids but also for the supervisors I charge. I thought it was very interesting that they don’t have any sort of weapon or restraint in order for protection, only a radio to call for help. I also would have never guessed that coed pods would be acceptable and work out. Another thing I thought was interesting was the different levels they have for the kids. I also think it is a good idea, there’s goals for the kids to achieve to show that they are respectful and responsible. This can also be a learning curve for the students and can help them better achieve obstacles later on in life. Most kids in the Juvenile Detention Center have never gotten this sort of parenting and disciple in their life. So they don’t understand the concept or how it can provide and help them later on in life to know what is acceptable and not acceptable in the real world. The disciple can help them become better and listen and make better decisions. They then can pass this onto younger family members and even their kids when they have them. Rewarding the kids for good behavior instantaneously is such a good method. Explaining it is even better. Many parents don’t follow this rule but according to psychology it is the most effective way in order for them to learn and the good continuous behavior to occur. Even when you are discipling, instantaneous discipline is the most effective way in order to succeed towards good behavior. I also thought that having visiting hours seven days a week is a good idea. This helps the kids remain a relationship to the people around them, it also gives them an opportunity to rebuild relationships that might’ve been hampered because of their decision to end up in the Juvenile Detention Center. After hearing them talk it makes me consider this career. I have also enjoyed working with kids, and have been told that is it truly a gift that I have. But have never considered it in my career path until now.
ReplyDeleteProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I think a Juvenile detention center is a great center to have for use. I think it's a way to correct kids who have started down the wrong path, and put them on the right path. I think it's rehabilitating environment can really help children correct their manners, and learn how to be successful in life. The speakers stated in class that the kids who are residents, still go to school, they are still allowed to do things a normal kid would, just with strict supervision. The speakers also stated that discipline the kids with timeouts, and it has shown to work. They said that fights between the residents and staff occur very rarely, I think it is good that the staff has total control over the residents. It provides a safe, and secure environment for the residents to get better. I like how they have the level system. It's a good tool to motivate kids, to become better. If the kid behaves well that week, or day then they get rewarded. I think that is the perfect way to rehabilitate, and correct certain behaviors that the certain kid is displaying. The speakers also stated that even when a resident does something slightly respectful, the staff members will give them verbal praise, and add points to their score for that period. I think the point system is also a great idea. I like how they have two chances a day to earn 25 point. They can earn it in the morning or afternoon. So if the resident has a bad morning they have chance to earn those points back in the afternoon or vice versa. The environment there is very secure. She stated that all residents are entitled to their rights, and if they feel their rights have been violated, then they can report it. They multiple ways to call for help. I also think it's good that the staff there doesn't intimidate the residents. They do not use mace, batons, and they rarely use handcuffs unless they have too. They use verbal skills, and timeouts, to get the resident to calm down if they are throwing a fit. All in all I think the juvenile detention center is a great tool to have to correct America's future.
ReplyDeleteI-Like-Cereal711
The JDC opened in 1996, it has 63 beds. They do not use all of the 63 beds at eh JDC as the average population of residents is around 35. That’s not to say that they have not been close to the max number of beds because two years ago they had around 60 residents. 3 to 5 of the beds are on contract to Decatur which they will sometimes send their troubled youths. Just for the promise of 3 to 5 beds the JDC gets $250,000 dollars a year. The ages that are sent to the JDC are 10 to 17, on very special cases 18 to 21. The average age though is between 13 and 16. The make up is 77 percent males and 33 percent females. The older males are separated from the females and put in A pod. The females and the younger males are put in B pod. The racial make up at the JDC is 32 percent Caucasian, 67 percent African American, and 1 percent Hispanic and Asian. The stay at the JDC that most of the youths will do is on average 21 days. Most of the youths will not even stay at the JDC, Only the kids that score high enough on the screening test earn a bed at the JDC. For example if two youths commit the same crime that doesn’t mean that they will do the same time at the JDC. The screening test takes in account other priors that the kids have and that is what determines if you are staying the night in the JDC. On of the bad things about the screening process is that it does not take in account mental illness of the Children. The main goal after the screening test is to provide a safe place for the troubled youth. In 2014 when they changed over to their new behavioral system they had the most restraints they had seen. In November 2014 they had 90 restraints. In the following year they dropped that number to only 30 restraints. These kids are given a room with a single bed, no double bunks, and 3 meals a day plus snacks. They are protected from physical, mental, and verbal abuse. They are also given hygiene products, physical activity, vaccines, medicine, doctor visits, education, and visitation rights 7 days a week. -ClarkKent711
ReplyDeleteOkay so I learned a whole lot with this speech rather than the adult jail. I always heard people say Jdc is like a big daycare and after they talked about it I really see why they said that all my years growing up. I feel like its kids who go back and fourth into JDC because of how sweet it is. Then when they get shipped to real jail they realize how hard it really is. I feel like they shouldn't be able to play no playstation or any of that if they're In there. I guess in a way its good they have all those programs and things for the kids that go to JDC. I like how they can earn points and level up and be able to do different things and eat different food but I feel like that feel more like a vacation then a place for punishment. I also like how they call the kids residents instead of inmates that help to no label them and the kids live up to that label. Like if they were to be Called an inmate they probably would do inmate like things just because that label is already on their back. In another since I like how the kids are still treated as kids in a way instead of throwing them in jail and treating them like animals but then again I feel like the system is the reason why people go back to jdc. I like how they talk to the kids about goals and their future because some of those kids don't have anyone in their life asking those questions or helping them make goals and accomplishing them. I feel like adult jails should follow a similar code just because I feel like everyone should be treated as humans instead of animals. I feel like the young lady and young man really work well with the kids and really want to help as many kids as they can I would say all but thats impossible but I know they are trying to be that positive influence in those kids lives and i got that feeling off of hearing them talk to the class. -Jollyrancher7111
ReplyDeleteWhen listening to the JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) officers I think they went over the policies in a good way. They house ages 10-17 or 18-21 just depends on the crime itself and the circumstances of it Most of the kids in there though are from ages 13-16.While in there the kids are treated fairly. They get three meals a day; Breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the things that I really liked is that the kids automatically have to go school in there. They get up everyday and participate in class. The detention center have Limestone teaches come in and teach them. I feel like that is important because they need to learn there education somewhere and start somewhere and in Jdc they don't have a choice. They also have a hotline for abuse in there which to me is outstanding because the kids know they can report anything and it makes them feel more safe.In the facilities the kids can get visitation 7 days a week from their parents. They all get there own room. I think that's good because they still need personal space. The staff checks on them every 15 minutes. They have more males than females. Males rank at 77% while girls 23%, They have a behavioral modification program cognitive model. The goals are to increase appropriate behavior, decrease inappropriate behavior, and to improve pro-social skills. This are good goals because kids always need thing to challenge them. Each kid gets 50 points per shift allowing them to possibly get 700 points in one week. They have three levels in Jdc. The first level is when they first enter, they have to be in bed by 8;15, they get two phone calls and no commissary. Level 2 they have to be in bed by 9pm they get two extra phone calls, ps3,tvs, and can purchase commissary. Level 4 they have to be in bed by 10pm they get three extra phone calls, ps4 and prices go down on everything for them. In this facilities they have to earn coupons for condiments like salt and pepper. I think it’s a good policy though because it challenges them to due better, to use their manners. Over all I agree with their policies. They are protecting the kids, while still making sure they get there education. They are trying their hardest to make sure they don’t have to see the kids in that situation again.~Justice711
ReplyDeleteI like what the juvenile correctional center is doing with their residents. They try to discipline them without being unnecessarily harsh which is good in my opinion. Their level system is very good and well thought out. Limiting kids to what they can and cannot buy really encourages them to better themselves and behave. The reward and discipline system is a very good one as well. Our speakers emphasized the process of disciplining and rewarding kids on the spot; rewarding and disciplining these kids on the spot reinforces what they did right or wrong and encourages them to stop or repeat the behavior. I always like the laws they talked about like the forty-hour law that juveniles must be seen by a judge within forty hours. This makes sure the kids are in and out in a timely manner and are not punished for something they don’t necessarily need to be punished for. The evaluation makes a lot of sense too. After looking at it I thought that it was very reasonable, and I see why it is used. Repeat offenders are more likely to be brought into the facility much like it would be in adult court. So although they are juveniles they do need to have somewhat of the same consequences as adult offenders. This way when they become adults and still chose that type of life they know what to expect and they cannot act as if its surprise. One f the things I recognized in their presentation was when they started talking about the things that the kids would say to throw officers off or get under the skin of others: The derogatory terms, slang terms, and insults. I could relate to this because I saw it used every day at the high school I graduated from. It is amazing the things that kids can make up to be little someone, and it is good that they try to stop that and change it. – RickyBobby711
ReplyDeleteAlthough the detention center is not a good place to be at it also is not a hard core prison like the county jail. The juvenile detention center is a place for juveniles that is I the age range of (10-17). The resident’s rights are set up to keep them safe and protected. All youths will get a physical within a week, mental and emotional. Proper shelter is provided also with 3 meals and a snack a day, visits are 7 days a week (so the youths family can come see them every day if they would like) grievance are available whenever the youths feel a need to complain, no youths share rooms and limestone high school works with them to keep the youths involved in school. The population of residents in the juvenile detention center is 34 yearly, mostly full of males. The number of residents that is currently on home detention of house arrest (ankle monitor) is 45 and only one guy is in charge of the home monitors. The detention center has a “point sheet” set up to help te youths focus on doing good in getting awarded for it. The youths can earn 50 points a shift and if you earn enough you can go up a level. Level one is blue shirts and you only have 1 call a week, level 2 is green shirts with only 2 calls and level 3 is orange shirts with 3 calls a week. There is also other rewards such as parties and snack and many more things for the good youths The youths behavior is what determines what their stay will be like and what rewards they will earn.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the speakers from the juvenile detention facility and the information they brought to our attention that we might not have already known about. The speakers gave us a run down of how kids are scored into the facility, the different pods they would be put into, extra curricular activities, types of punishments they would run into for their behavior, and praises they could recieve for positive behavior. The speakers also shared with us that the kids held in the facility still recieved education though Limestone high school which i think is cool and very important. I feel like with education, lunch and recess still gives them a feel for the outside world and knowing that they won't be treated harshly, but fairly. If these kids were treated how adult prisoners were treated and were expected to get out in lets say a month, they would view people and situations so harsh and differently just because of how cruel their stay was as 10-18 year olds. Another thing I found interesting was how the staff did not carry any type of protection or weapons incase or a dangerous situation between the child and the staff or even if the situation was the children against each other. I would honestly be at least somewhat afraid just because I know things such as mace or even handcuffs are not on my person incase a dangerous situation would occur. That makes me wonder if the kids know that staff don't have any protection or weapons on them and if they did would this cause them to be more bold and act out aggressively. Overall I am excited to go on the visit and get the in person experience from what the speakers gave to us. Redbird 711
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed listening to the juvenile detention center presentation. Learning that they opened in 1999. They have 63 bed but they currently only have a population of 34 kids. I loved hearing about how they treat the kids and how when they are in the detention center they are also going to class and getting an education. I feel as if most of the kid probably don’t go to school because their parent or legal guardian don’t force or encourage them to go or maybe can’t get them to attend. To hear that they are so well looked after and respected because I feel like when people hear a juvenile detention center they think of a dirt and non caring place. I thought it was really neat and interesting hear how they use incentives to reward the kids. Also learning some of the items that are on each level and what they can purchase with their coupons. How they can purchase different kinds of food, or with the different levels get more phone calls, stay up later. Also how they use different shirt colors to represent the different levels and also show who is on what level. I think that the way that they handle when a kid misbehaves or lash out is very important and also think that the 30,5,30 was interesting to hear about and how after that they don’t want to stay in there room because obviously they don’t want to sit in their for 65 minutes. I mean I know I wouldn’t want to sit in my room for 65 minutes with no mattress and no book. It was so interest to hear that when they sit in the focus groups they hear from other kids maybe something that should be their goal for the week. I think that they kind of feedback can be hard to hear for some of the kids but also very beneficial to the kids because then it can help them realize problem that can be corrected to help better their future self. I can’t wait to visit the juvenile detention center. -mmmChicken711
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how the juvenile detention center runs. I also found it very interesting that they only have 63 beds. And they never double bunk which is very interesting and i never thought that it would be such a big deal until i actually thought about it. It also surprised me that the younger groups are co ed and that they can do everything together. I thought it would be a lot bigger. Also how much the number has dropped. I also didn't know that they used so many incentives i thought it was just a lot of punishments. I think it's definitely a god thing that the use the point system and have certain things like food and later sleeping times. Also how if you are good all week and have 700 points you get to order from a restaurant and that's something that would push a lot of kids to do good however once out of that environment what's going to be their incentive for being good. I also was very shocked when he was talking about how many people are their to work, it seems like they are really outnumbered and things can turn south very quickly. I also did not know gangs were such a big thing i really didn't think that just because they live in a certain part of town that they would be treated differently. I think its cool how they really focus on getting the kids to do better and how the judge can look at everything they did to determine if they get to go home or not. I also like how they explained the process to get to wok there and how she handed out the internship cards. -pizza711
ReplyDeleteI found the juvenile detention center presentation very interesting. I learned that they opened in 1999 and that they have 63 beds, but currently have a population of only 34, age ranging from 10 to 17. The detention center is a place where juveniles that have been charged with a criminal offense are held. I learned the rights that they have. The rights include protection from abuse, health care, treated humanely, communicate with their attorney/family, clean clothes, not discrimation, access to education, receive mail, and visitations. The juvenile has their own room, plus a mattress, a blanket, and sheets. They also have a grievance system. Basically, this system is an official statement of compliant over something they believe was unfair to them. The average length in the detention center is 21 days. Also the 77 percent of the population is male and 23 percent is female. They also have a behavior modification program. This program focuses on the concept that thinking and attitudes influence our behavior and also that by changing the behavior by changing residents thinking. The research indicates that the highest risk factor for re-offending is criminogenic thinking and attitudes. Another thing they have is a level system. Everyone starts at level one upon entering the facility, and advances their way through by requiring a certain number of points, meeting a weekly goal and passing the RBI test. There are three components to reduce re-offending. The first one is the strategies to increase appropriate behavior. They have weekly goals for the resident to focus on a particular problematic behavior that could lead to consequences for them. The component also includes the level-system. The second component is decreasing inappropriate behavior. One strategy is to ignore the behavior. The behavior is to tissue a consequence or handles an extreme circumstance or emergency. Another strategy is a time-out. Using this strategy is to extinguish an inappropriate behavior. During this time they can reflect on what they did and how they could have handled the situation different. The final component is to improve pro-social skills. I feel like what the juvenile detention center is really trying to help out the residents that are there. – Adventureflight711
ReplyDeleteAfter having the two guest speakers come and speak to us recently, it’s really opened my eyes up to how our juvenile corrections system works. One of the first big things I learned from the two speakers was that when juveniles are first sent to their facilities, they are scored using a “screening sheet.” On this sheet, things like prior arrests, additional current/pending offenses, and risk of failure to appear are all scored based on the juvenile’s history. Once they have a score, they use this to determine whether they need to be incarcerated or put on some sort of supervision. Once they’ve been screened, juveniles have 40 hours to be put before a judge, who will ultimately decide what will be done with them. Although it seems like the juveniles don’t have a whole lot of say in what happens to them during this time or while incarcerated, they do still have rights. According to our two guest speakers, the juveniles can file a grievance letter into a locked box if they feel as though any of their rights have been violated. There are very few people who even have access to this box, so the juveniles should feel as though they can put their letters in with confidence and without fear of repercussion for speaking out. Some statistics that were mentioned during the lecture of our two speakers were that there are currently 34 juvenile inmates in the local facility (down quite a bit from 2016, as it was 65- which was full capacity), 77% of the juvenile inmates are males with the other 23% being female (2016), there are 40-50 kids on home detention with ankle bracelets currently with only one probation officer responsible for all of them, and that there are currently 15 juvenile facilities in Illinois as of 2018. One of the last things I’d like to mention that I found very interesting from our speakers was how their behavior modification system works in their juvenile facilities. They have 3 levels, in which you can progress through via good behavior, noticeable better behavior and by completing goals. On level one, which is where everyone starts, you have no access to commissary, you’re in bed by 8:15 pm every night, and you receive no extra calls. As you progress your way up, you can gain privilege to things like commissary, extra phone calls, ps3 and ps4 play time you can purchase, later bedtimes, and cheaper prices for everything pretty much just in general. All in all, I definitely learned quite a bit from our two guest speakers and am absolutely looking forward to seeing them again on our tour of their facility, being as I now know much more about how it all works. GMan219711
ReplyDeleteThe Juvenile Detention Center in our city has 63 beds, and three pods. A pod is for the older males and B pod is for the males and females and are typically 10-17 years of age. They have a C pod but it is currently not being used. Right now they have 30 kids in the facility. They each have their own rooms so they do not have to share with another child. They are checked on by the guards/employees every 15 minutes and if they go on suicide watch for any reason then they are checked on every four minutes. All of the arrests of these children, when they come in they are screened prior to see if they can even be taken into the center. There is a paper that they are rated off of and if they exceed the amount of points then they can be accepted. The center has a full time mental health professional and a psychiatrist comes once a week and the health department comes in every two weeks. According to their 2016 statistics, they average at 35 residents, length of stay is usually 21 days, males in the facility: 77%, females are 23%. Caucasians make up 32% and African Americans make up 67%, while hispanics and asian american is about, less than 1%. JDC has 45 kids at home on monitoring though. The majority of kids end up having a public defender and the majority of them plead guilty. They have phones throughout the center if kids ever wanted to just pick it up they can and they can call the police for whatever reason they want to. Four times a day a focus group is offered for them, where they help with anger management, behavior trainings and moral reasoning. They are "super structured" here at JDC. They hold a behavior modification program that is evidence based to work. This is where they make them repeat sayings to get it in their head as such, "What I am today is a reflection of what I have learned, not my potential". They also have strategies to increase appropriate behavior where they award points in 5 areas. In the respect/ignore (if when another resident makes obnoxious statements and the child ignores the other); cooperation/participation, talking, area and gestures. They can score up to 100 points a day as there are 4 periods of ranking. The kids get coupons which can go to commissary or better hygiene products, or just time out of their pod. If they decide to act up they get a 30 minute reflect to their room and then have to come back and sit in the corner for a 5 minute time out. Or they are simply ignored to the most they can be in the hopes that eventually no one will be egging them on or paying attention and they will give up as they are not receiving that attention. I am super glad we had the time to talk with these superintendents because it gave me a taste of what it is like in their facility. I have been to a county jail before and obviously they kind of play by a different set of rules but I am very excited for our tour. I think the way they do things here is interesting and very accommodating and kind for these children because I can imagine some of the places these young kids are coming from, they may be getting better treatment and talked to better here which make trigger something for them. I think it was very informational. -notacop711
ReplyDeleteThe people that were from the juvenile detention center gave a very interesting speech. It’s good to see people that are working with children to try and change their way of thinking and help them change their lives so they don’t become adult offenders. One of the things I liked hearing them talk about was how they have been working on positive reinforcement over negative reinforcement. The system they have where the kids can earn points for good behavior that they can turn around and use to purchase certain benefits like food or video games. One thing I thought was kind of weird was using condiments as an incentive, never would of thought to do that. Their system for how to deal with bad behavior is good as well. I like how they use time outs and require the kids to serve them correctly otherwise they would have to start over. The level system is neat as well, I can see how that gives them an incentive to do well as it gives them something to work towards and look forward to. I think that besides just rewarding their good behavior it teaches them a little about how other elements of life work. Some of their stories were pretty interesting. I always hear about gang violence in adult prisons but never really thought about it happening in a juvenile detention center. It seems that it’s much rarer with juveniles but can still be a problem. I’m glad to see people in juvenile justice that care about the kids and take pride in seeing them succeed outside of the detention center. I think this is an important part of the criminal justice system and it’s vital to get to kids before they become adult offenders and get into something they aren’t go to be able to get out of. I think there a lot of kids out there in the system that really just need to be given a chance to succeed and many are being denied that opportunity. Maybe if we focus on putting programs in place that help kids stay away from crime we could have less adult crime and more people growing up to be productive citizens instead of just sitting in a prison cell their whole life costing tons of money.
ReplyDeleteAvatar711
The individuals that came into class to talk about the Juvenile Detention Center really got their program figured out. They have a great system. I like the fact that while they are trying to discipline the kids, they are trying to teach them right from wrong. They have a system set up that when they do something right, they are rewarded. For example if they don't use curse words they will get rewarded with points. The points can lead to a free mini pizza, or an hour on the Play station 4. They are teaching these kids that with good behavior, comes good things in life. It is a very good tactic. I like how if the kids get into a fight, instead of the old system where they put them in confinement for a whole 24 hours they will put them in their room for an hour to think about what they did. It is proven to them that it works better than 24 hours in their room. I think overall the administration at the JDC really care about the kids and their well being. They want the best for them. They want them to succeed. It makes them happy if they run into a former kid they had and hear about the success they are having. Overall the system works well and it sounds worlds better than the previous system they had. -Bearsfan98
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed having the juvenile detention center people come and speak to our class. It takes a special person to have the patience to try to take care of these children and try to turn their actions around to better their life. They really cared about the kids and you could tell. They were really big on rewarding kids for being good which is really good to do. Some of these kids may not have a great support system at home and may not acknowledge them if they do something right. The people at the Juvenile detention center are rewarding these kids with coupons to buy things or throwing them parties at the end of the weeks for all of the well behaved kids. They were also sure to say that when you are praising someone that you should do it right when it happens so the kid remembers what they have done. They are also really good about keeping a good eye on all of the kids in the center. They are checked on to make sure they are okay every fifteen minutes. If any of the kids in the center happen to be suicidal, then these kids will be checked on every four minutes to make sure that they are safe in their rooms. The center holds 63 beds and the kids that come to the center are between the ages of ten and 17. 77 percent of the people in the center are male and 23 percent female. On average the center will have around 35 kids every day. While only having 35 kids in the actual center, they still are keeping tabs on some kids that are on home detention. There are 40 to 50 kids on home detention that one guy is in charge of taking care of and making sure they are doing everything they need. Something else that i thought was really cool was how they have teachers come in everyday to teach kids so they are not falling behind in school while they are at the center which is so important. -Steel711
ReplyDeleteI really like that the JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) is really trying to make the purpose feel accurate while still trying to make everyone incarcerated feel comfortable. They have 3 tiers a week on how they grade everyone. Obviously 3 is the best, they allow more food options at 3 and they allow time to play video games on a PlayStation 4. I like how they give time for one hour of outside activities and still 45 minutes of weight lifting. I really like how they answered a couple of my questions but really liked when they answered my question about what the procedures would be for severe weather. In a tornado they have all the residents get under their beds and brace and during a blizzard they will have special escorts bring employees to work and they will have some of them stay in empty bunks. I like how the jails provide food for the JDC, even though the residents can still get food tickets to get more food or higher tier food. As of right now the average amount of residents the JDC has is 34 and that is a low number. Each room in the JDC is a single bed room. I like how they have their check up system, every 15 minutes they checks the rooms to see if every one is doing well or doing what they are suppose to. If they have someone who is on suicide watch they check up on them every 4 minutes. They also told us that every activity or lunch is mixed so boys and girls are in the same gym or lunch. I also like how they said their is a schooling system too, we did not talk much about it but I am very happy knowing the kids are still getting their basic education. Going back to the teir system they have, if you do something nice that you regularyly would not do it is called praise and you can earn points based on stuff like that. I really think that the people who are working the JDC are doing their bests just to keep the building a happy and friendly place and I am very excited to see the JDC someday or even work in it. -MyHandle711
ReplyDeleteSo, I do like some of the policies the JDC have set up for the juveniles and some I really don’t agree with at all. The three levels they have set up for the juveniles to earn some privileges are something I can deal with. However, these kids are in JDC for a reason and shouldn’t be given video game systems. They are there to learn from their mistakes and become better, than they were before coming in to the JDC. If they are given these privileges, they are just going to think it is that simple and be on their way. The whole timeout thing is ridiculous as well. That’s for toddlers who act up. If you want to teach these kids how to be proper adults don’t treat them like children. I understand the role of the JDC is to provide these kids with the proper safety and security. It is nice however that these kids have rights to the proper health care they need to have currently. The whole right to be treated humanely is something that should be a known given. If we really want these kids to grow into mature adults treating them humanely is key. With the facility being a 63 bed and 5 reserved for Macomb juveniles they have a lot on their plate since one worker is given 8 juveniles to watch over. The sleeping arrangement doesn’t bother me for the fact that they are checked every 15 mins and if juveniles placed on suicide watch every 4 minutes to be safe. They said that they have two blocks one for the younger kids and one for the older kids. What they told us about the gender ratio compared between male and female was drastic in my point of view. With the males having more than three quarters of the population and the females having slightly less than a quarter of the population. You would think that they would separate the two, but they said that it was coed. I do like seeing that they make the kids go to school while they are there to help build their future lives. Hopefully all of this prevents them from reoffending later down the road and keeping themselves away from danger. -Rollforinitiative711
ReplyDeletepart one: The visitors from the Juvenile Detention Facility were both very interesting. Though they both had a lot to say, I was more engaged in Tim’s part of the conversation than the woman that was there. They both seemed very energized and I loved that about their presentation. PCJDC is a place where juveniles who have been charged with a criminal offense and/or have been ordered by the court are held. Smith explained to us that all arrests are screened and accepted or denied based on the score from the screening. As soon as they are screened they have forty hours until they go before a judge. After explaining this she told us about a resident’s rights at PCJDC, she did go quite fast so I did not get all them down BUT I did write down the one’s that stuck out to me the most 1: they are protected against physical, mental, and emotional abuse 2: they have access to health care 3: they have a right to education. Education was the one that got me the most because she told us that they would go to school as they normally would and then return to PCJDC afterword. I thought this was cool because they can still have an average child’s education even though they are housed at the facility. After Smith had finished her section of the presentation Tim had taken over. -tanlion-nala711
ReplyDeletepart two: Tim talked to us about the Behavior Modification Program: Cognitive Model. This model focuses on the concept that thinking and attitudes influence our behavior. Therefore, they change the resident’s behavior by changing their thinking. After introducing the program he explained how they increase positive behavior. All of this was interesting to me because it reminded me how we would treat a dog. Not saying that they are animals WE ARE ALL HUMAN but it made me think of training. Which in a way it is because we are retraining their minds to be more into the right mindset. He explained that the residents can earn points, a total of fifty, every day. They look for things like Respect, Cooperation/participation, Talk, and Area. Things like these would include, for example: A juvenile takes the time to pick up after themselves and also someone else if they leave something on the table, or holding the door open for everyone before they enter a room, etc. Though these seem like little things, The little things count for the big picture. It is also important that while they are seeing this positive behavior, they praise that resident on the spot. For example, if they did pick something up after someone else or maybe several people, they would praise them on the spot and say “hey good job *insert reason for praise here*” A gesture to a resident is very important as well. So after they are praised they may be given something. A big example: Coupons: utilized to provide residents with a tangible reinforcer for positive behavior rather than something verbal. They also have the residents make goals so that they have something to improve on, so if a resident is known for cursing a lot, that could be something to improve on. After talking about positive reinforcers, he talked about the levels of the program. It consists of three levels. All Residents start on level one and have level one privileges upon admittance into the facility. Residents must pass a new orientation test before earning privileges. The case he mentioned was a different colored shirt. The Residents advance through the level system by earning the required number of points, meeting their weekly goal contract, AND passing a weekly level RBT test. NOTE: each shift someone can earn fifty points. That is a total of one hundred a day. That’s a total of seven hundred a week. So that means seven hundred points a week plus everything listed above. -tanlion-nala711
ReplyDeletepart three: After the positive behaviors and reinforcements we got do negative behaviors and punishments. He explained that they only time they provide attention to negative behavior is to issue a consequence or handle an extreme circumstance or emergency (those big ones can require from up to two extra officers or even all of staff depending on how bad the emergency is). Time-outs was a big one we talked about. The definition from the screen was: The purpose is to extinguish an inappropriate behavior, this is a time the resident can reflect on what they did and how they could have handled the situation differently. Though I said “Punishment” for this section Time-outs are NOT PUNISHMENT- “it simply seeks to remove all possible reinforcers for the inappropriate behavior they have exhibited. Then he and Smith explained the types of time-outs. The first one was a thirty and five. And a thirty, thirty, and five. Both of which result in time-outs. What I liked about this the most was was Tim explained, “ We let them get all of their anger, irritation, and venting out first so that when they start a time out of any sort they are calm. There are times when we put them right on the wall and they are still cussing and irritated, once they realize they have been there for a long amount of time, they will realize their time has yet to start and know that if they are quiet , their timer will finally start. -tanlion-nala711
ReplyDeletepart four: On another side note smith explained how their shifts worked different when it comes to sleeping rooms. Each resident ah their own sleeping room. This comes with a mattress, sheet, pillow, and a choice of book. If they are on suicide watch, an officer has to check their room every four minutes, for other juveniles those could be other times, but for the suicide watch’s safety it is best four minutes. You’d be amazed at how many ways a person could think and act of killing themselves. She also mentioned that PCJDC has 35 residents, they are usually there 21 days detention. Males: 77% and Females 23% for the population at the facility. Caucasian: 37% and African American: 67%. She told us that it use to be about fifty residents but that has dropped to the half (35 residents) that there are now which I think is an extremely good thing. -tanlion_nala711
ReplyDeletepart five: Overall this talk was extremely interesting and I was engaged throughout the whole thing. Even though I did not ask any questions, many were answered that I would have and those questions were answered in extreme depth. This was way more interesting than reading it in a text book for sure! I did an internship with the Sheriff’s office and was right next door to this building the whole entire time but had no idea what happened in there until these two came in. The handouts they gave us were extremely helpful as well, especially when they walked us through how to use the score/screening sheet. -Tanlion_nala711
ReplyDeleteI do like some of the policies the Juvenile Detention Center have in order for the juveniles. They’re really taking good care of the juveniles and not really making them feel like criminals except for those that walks in the door giving them a hard time of course not sure if it’s because they are so young but their programs and the entire set up they have for them are really nice. They’re already suffering from their action by being in there. Some of the things i heard that was available i was really surprised like the 7 days a week visiting time. They have open activities for them and they don't haveeperated for the whole day it’s like they’re leaving regularly but very less freedom not saying this is great forgetting the acting they upheld to get them sent to the Juvenile Detention but some are very young and i wouldn’t say don’t know any better but really at their age their actions sometime comes from thing they’ve seen others do or lack of parenting period. This place will influence them to do right things if they have a second chance.They plan to provide a secure and safe place for them to be held while the juveniles serve out all of their time. The times they check on the kids while they’re in their cells which is every 15 minutes and if they’re on suicide watch it’s every 4 minutes I like that because it doesn’t give them enough time to do anything that’ll harm themselves or others. I like the 5 minutes times out they’re given to collect and calm themselves down instead of like real jail that’s an instant way to send some to “the hole” they call it which would be for weeks or even months depending on their actions. I also love the 1,2, and 3 level they give the kids to ern thing because they’ll help them improve their behavior and actually get back in the habit of remembering things aren’t just given to you the easy way you have to work for it and work even harder to keep it. Teaches those about leadership as well.-KenzieLand711
ReplyDeleteI learned some very interesting things about the detention center. The facility has sixty three beds. Determining on whether or not the adolescent needs to be in the detention center is based on a score sheet. If the person scores a ten, they are going to the detention center. If they have a score that is between zero or nine, they will most likely be released to their parents or guardian. The adolescents are given clean clothes and they can shower daily. The rooms are single bedrooms. They are able to get an education as well. The facility makes sure to keep up on their vaccines and medications. That shows that they are taken care of. They check on everyone every fifteen minutes and if they are on suicide watch, they check on them every four minutes. I think that's awesome because suicide in teens and young adults is happening more today than it has in the past. The detetention center has two phones and if the teenerager belives that their rights have been violated or something bad happened, they can use that phone and contact someone and then they will open an investigation. I thought it was good idea that they have an opportunity to earn coupons based on good behavior. These coupons can get them extra snacks, condiments, extra time out of their room, extra hygiene products, etc. They can also earn points and they sometimes have a point party. This can really help them correct their bad behavior and praise the good behavior. Parents and family are able to visit seven days a week and I thought that was really cool. They are able to receive and write mail. Everything that comes in or out goes through the detention center staff but they dont look through it. They have a PREA and it’s abbreviated for Prison Rape Elimination Act. They have a zero tolerance policy for that and I think that’s great. The average length of stay in 2016 was twenty one days but they have had some that have been there for year. They have multiple focus groups. One of them is anger management and I think these focus groups will definitely help them. -Soccer31711
ReplyDeleteSo because its JDC you would feel that if a juvenile did something wrong he would automatically get sent out to JDC, that’s not the case you have to score in many for you to get accepted you would have to so many points, so a juvenile can get in trouble and have still go home and not JDC because it was the first offense or first run in with the police.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that because its JDC and yes, they are kids, but it would still be the same thing every day with no extra incentives. I believe that you can rehabilitate a young person without having to be so strict. Having something to work towards even if it’s like small things like scented body wash would make a kid make good decisions, because he would worry about a working harder to get that next step up the how much more time he got left.
The juvenile center wants to improve the delinquent’s attitudes and decision making, not punish them. They are very well disciplined though.
JDC is very big on making sure that the juvenile inmates are up to date on any vaccinations, and making sure they are healthy mentally and physically, they have a RN 40 hrs. a week and an mental health pro, they also make sure that the dentist comes at least once a month so they really want to make sure that the juvenile inmates are taking care of up to the “T”
They have this program called PREA. It stands for Prison Rape Elimination Act. It’s a zero-tolerance policy. The juvenile delinquency center has two phones in the facility and any of the kids can use that phone to report something that has happened.
All in all, the JDC in our town Is doing its best to help those children who walk through its doors, not walk back through them. Again, successfully rehabilitation is the key. It is good to know that my tax dollars are going to places like the JDC. As a society, people must do more, such as become mentors for instance to kids who are having problems.
And in conclusion, I believe that the really try everything and anything to try to get kids on track and yes, they made a mistake but the try and steer them away from making that same mistake and again.
-Statechamp711